1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to devices that are used to remove cerumen from the auditory canal. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that remove cerumen while creating a negative pressure within the auditory canal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is natural for cerumen, i.e. earwax, to collect in the auditory canals. However, with some people, the collection of cerumen becomes troublesome in that it begins to block the auditory canal and adversely affects hearing. It is for these people that cerumen removal products and methods have been developed.
Products to help in the removal of cerumen are produced for use by both doctors and untrained individuals. Products available to individuals typically include a cerumenolytic solution to chemically soften the cerumen and a syringe to flush the softened cerumen from the auditory canal. The flushing of the auditory canal is a relatively safe way for an unskilled person to clean the auditory canal without causing injury to the ear. However, for impacted cerumen, simple flushing techniques are ineffective.
For impacted cerumen, some physical force must be applied to the cerumen to loosen it from the auditory canal. Typically, to apply the physical force needed, some type of instrument is entered in to the auditory canal. The instrument is used to contact the cerumen and dislodge the cerumen from the auditory canal. Such prior art instruments are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,199 to Karell, entitled Ear Cleaning Device With A Flexion Part; U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,276 to Lay, entitled Ear Wax Remover; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,850 to Markgraaf, entitled Personal Ear Cleaning Device. Instruments that enter the auditory canal have the potential of causing severe injury to the ear if not handled properly. Accordingly, instruments that enter the auditory canal are not typically sold to the public, but are, rather used by physicians. However, even when used by physicians, instruments that enter the auditory canal have the inherent potential of contacting the eardrum and causing injury.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,803 to Spilman, entitled Ear Vacuum, discloses an instrument that uses air pressure, rather than mechanical probe, to dislodge ear wax. The instrument is a battery operated device that reduces the air pressure in the auditory canal in an attempt to suction the cerumen out of the auditory canal. A problem associated with such instruments is that the weight of the vacuum motor and the batteries make the device difficult to manipulate and hold in place outside a patient""s ear. Furthermore, cerumen is a highly viscous material. The degree of vacuum needed to separate cerumen from the tissue of the auditory canal and suction the cerumen completely out of the auditory canal is significant. This needed degree of suction often cannot be achieved within the auditory canal without causing harm to the tympanic membrane and/or severe discomfort to the patient.
A need therefore exists for a device and method that can apply a physical force to impact cerumen in the auditory canal with air pressure. This need met by the present invention as is described and claimed below.
The present invention is a system and method for removing impacted cerumen from within a person""s auditory canal. The system includes a hand held instrument that is held against the ear, and a base that creates a negative pressure in the hand held instrument when it is not in use. The hand held instrument contains an auditory canal plug that seals over the auditory canal when manually biased against the auditory canal. The plug contains an aperture that leads to a vacuum chamber within the hand held instrument. The flow of air through the auditory canal plug and into the vacuum chamber is controlled by a manually operated flow control valve.
The hand held instrument merely carries the vacuum chamber. To create a negative pressure in the vacuum chamber, the hand held instrument must be placed on a base. The base contains a vacuum pump that pneumatically interconnects with the vacuum chamber when the hand held instrument is placed on the base. The vacuum pump creates a negative pressure in the vacuum chamber that is maintained in the vacuum chamber even after the hand held instrument is removed from the base. The vacuum chamber is used to create a controlled degree of suction that is used to create a controlled degree of suction that is used to loosen the cerumen and cause it to migrate to a readily accessible location within the auditory canal.